OKC Thunder Even Up Series After Indiana Pacers Collapse

OKC Thunder Even Up Series After Indiana Pacers Collapse originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The NBA Finals is now a best-of-three series after the Oklahoma City Thunder took Game 4 by a score of 111-104. They were led in scoring by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 35 points, while the leading scorer for the Pacers was Pascal Siakam with 20 points.
Advertisement
The first quarter started with the Oklahoma City Thunder making a change to their starting lineup. They benched Cason Wallace and started a second big in Isaiah Hartenstein alongside Chet Holmgren, finding quick success.
The Pacers began the game with quick ball movement and touch passes. They worked the high-post offense to perfection with Myles Turner. Turner would either pull the elbow jumper or find the open man in the corner for the three. The Pacers shot 5-9 in the first half from the corner.
The key defensively for Indiana in the first quarter was the play of Pascal Siakam. He recorded four steals and began the fast-break offense because of the tenacious defensive effort. It was this type of play that led to the Pacers being up by one at the end of the first quarter.
The game got much more tense in the second quarter. Indiana began defending Shai and Wallace for 94 feet, forcing them to exert more effort on the offensive end. However, poor shot selection and sloppy ball movement in the second quarter by the Pacers led to the Thunder taking an early lead.
Advertisement
The game came to a slight boil halfway through the second quarter after what was deemed to be a flagrant foul by Obi Toppin on Alex Caruso. Toppin and Hartenstein began shoving, and that seemed to ratchet up the intensity. Toppin has been pivotal for the Pacers in the last two games because of his efficiency on offense, his aggressiveness on the glass, and his intensity on the defensive end. Ultimately, the Pacers led by three at the end of the first half.
The third quarter started the same way the first two did, with another Siakam steal and fast break attempt. The Pacers would turn it up the aggressiveness on both ends and would open up a seven-point lead about halfway through the quarter. After a tense moment between Siakam and Alex Caruso, Siakam's passion started to come out.
After posting a plus/minus of -10 in the first half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander began to play harder on the defensive end. He also went back to his signature mid-range jumpshot to get the Thunder back on track. When he gets to that shot, there are very few who can defend it. The Thunder cut the lead down to two, but Toppin hit two consecutive threes to push the lead back to eight.
The Thunder have not helped their cause, trailing by seven heading into the fourth quarter on 2-14 shooting from behind the arc. Both teams were showing a focused effort of getting to the rim, as they both would struggle from behind the arc. The Pacers would take the lead by up to three after an attack of the rim by Tyrese Haliburton sent him to the free throw line with three minutes left.
Advertisement
The Thunder took the lead by one after a baseline jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander. After two straight turnovers, the Thunder had the ball with a chance to extend their lead, but Jalen Williams would miss an open jumper to give the ball back to Indiana. However, ultimately, the Thunder made plays down the stretch to send this series back to Oklahoma City.
Related: Bennedict Mathurin Offers Two Words After Leading Indiana Pacers in NBA Finals
Related: Tyrese Haliburton Praises 'Perfect' Indiana Pacers' Bench Player
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

37 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Clippers' James Harden's hilarious reaction to fan's championship request

The post Clippers' James Harden's hilarious reaction to fan's championship request appeared first on ClutchPoints. When James Harden decides to retire, he will go down as one of the best shooting guards in NBA history. However, the Los Angeles Clippers forward lacks one key accolade on his resume; a championship. He and Kawhi Leonard entered the postseason as dark horses in the Western Conference. However, head coach Tyronn Lue could not lead them past the Denver Nuggets. Advertisement Harden's lack of a title has haunted him throughout his career. Ever since he made it to the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, the former MVP has not made it back. One fan reminded Harden about his lack of a ring during Fanatics Fest in New York. Harden was on a panel with Druski when a member of the audience told him to win a championship. The All-Star's humorous reply was captured on video and posted to social media. 'I will, I'm trying!' Harden said to the fan. Despite another first round exit, Harden is not in a bad position when looking at his team. Lue is one of the best coaches in the league. When Leonard is healthy, he is one of the best players in the entire NBA. All the Clippers need to do is put together a fully healthy season to build chemistry before the playoffs. Advertisement Los Angeles will have a hard time keeping all of their players together this summer. However, Harden, Leonard, and Ivica Zubac are all under contract and are not going anywhere. Trade rumors have attached the Clippers to names like Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday. However, general manager Trent Ridden has not yet revealed his offseason plans. Los Angeles has the freedom to get aggressive and hunt stars because of their current makeup. Lue has experience coaching teams with multiple stars, having coached LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Harden and Leonard are also malleable around high-profile teammates. As good as Harden was last season, some fans wonder how many good years he has left in him. At 35 years old, the 16-year pro is at the back end of his NBA career. Advertisement However, he showed that he is still capable of filling out an impressive box score. The Clippers are a team to watch this offseason, especially on the trade market. If they make the right moves, Harden could make good on his promise. Related: Clippers' James Harden debuts Hulk Hogan look at Fanatics Fest Related: Clippers' 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history

USA Today

an hour ago

• USA Today

NFL legend calls LeBron James 'the greatest ever'

LeBron James treated sports fans to a special event in New York City on Saturday. At Fanatics Fest, which was held at the Javitz Center, he hosted live versions of "The Shop" and the "Mind the Game" podcast. For "The Shop," he was joined on stage by legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Brady retired following the 2022 season, and he is considered by most to be the greatest player, or at least the greatest QB, in the history of football. Brady appeared to glaze James a bit when he referred to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar as "the greatest ever." 'You're witnessing the greatest ever and I hope you all appreciate that,' Brady said. The debate about where exactly James belongs on the list of the greatest players in NBA history rages on, but his accomplishments speak for themselves. He became the league's all-time leading career scorer two years ago and is now at 42,184 regular-season points and 50,473 points in the regular season and playoffs combined. He has won four NBA championships (although he has lost six times in the NBA Finals), has won four league MVP awards and is one of a handful of players who have at least one scoring title and one assists title. James has a player option for next season. The 40-year-old is expected to play at least one more season in the league, and what he does beyond that is anyone's best guess at this point.

Newsweek

2 hours ago

• Newsweek

NBA Finals Game 7 Odds, Best Bets, Prediction: Thunder Heavy Home Favorites

Despite being blown out in Game 6, the Thunder are the heavy betting favorites in Game 7 vs. the Pacers on Sunday night. Despite being blown out in Game 6, the Thunder are the heavy betting favorites in Game 7 vs. the Pacers on Sunday night. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Thunder entered the NBA Finals vs. the Pacers as one of the biggest betting favorites in Finals history, but now need to win Game 7 at home on Sunday night to avoid a historic upset. Tonight's contest marks the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016, when Cleveland finished off its memorable comeback win over the Warriors in a series it had trailed 3-1. Given how up-and-down these Finals have been for OKC and Indiana -- both from quarter-to-quarter and game-to-game -- the (likely) most-watched matchup of the 2024-25 season might also be the toughest one to predict and/or bet on. NBA Finals Game 7 Betting Odds: Spread, ML DK FD bet365 IND spread +7.5 (-112) +7.5 (-112) +7.5 (-115) OKC spread -7.5 (-108) -7.5 (-108) -7.5 (-105) IND ML +225 +240 +235 OKC ML -278 -295 -290 Total 214.5 (o-110; u-110) 214.5 (o-112; u-108) 215 (o-110; u-110) The Pacers showed in Game 1 that these teams were more evenly matched than oddsmakers thought, but Indiana has nevertheless been the underdog in every game of this series. With that in mind, we shouldn't necessarily be surprised that the Thunder are favored by 7.5 points in Game 7. This is also a good time to mention both Game 7 of OKC vs. Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals and Game 5 of OKC-Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder won those games 125-93 and 124-94, respectively. For context, below are the closing betting lines for the three previous games in these Finals that took place in OKC: Game 1: OKC -9.5 (Final: IND 111, OKC 110) Game 2: OKC -10.5 (Final: OKC 123, IND 107) Game 5: OKC -8.5 (Final: OKC 120, IND 109) How to Watch NBA Finals Game 7: Pacers vs. Thunder Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET Channel: ABC NBA Finals MVP Odds Entering Game 7 This series was widely expected to be a cakewalk for OKC, and on a related note, there was little disagreement on who would win Finals MVP. Regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Finals MVP odds were almost as short as OKC's odds to win the title. But although he's averaged over 30.5 points per game, oddsmakers are still giving three players besides SGA a real chance to Finals MVP: Indiana's Pascal Siakam, OKC's Jalen Williams and Tyrese Haliburton. As you can see below, SGA is still the clear favorite, but a bad Game 7 by Gilgeous-Alexander and/or a huge night by Siakam, Williams or Haliburton could be enough for one of the latter to win MVP. FD DK Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -240 -205 Pascal Siakam +300 +370 Jalen Williams +1200 +1100 Tyrese Haliburton +1600 +1100 NBA Finals Game 7 Analysis, Key Questions This year's Finals have delivered one shocking result after another, which means no outcome should be ruled out in Game 7. The Thunder have played well enough at times this during series that a comfortable home win to clinch the title is a possibility. At this point, though, betting on anyone to pull away from the Pacers in a must-win Game 7 just seems like a great way to lose money. Who Wins The Turnover Battle -- OKC or Indiana? Sunday's game will likely be decided by the turnover battle and -- on a related note -- whether OKC can be efficient in the halfcourt. The Thunder recorded assists on less than half of their made field goals in Games 1, 3, 4 and 6, with losses in all of those besides Game 4 (SGA memorably took over that game down the stretch to bail out OKC). OKC has consistently won the turnover battle throughout the regular season and playoffs. The Pacers, however, were dominant on that front in Game 6, scoring 19 points on 21 Thunder turnovers while committing just 11 TOs. The Thunder have also coughed up at least 14 turnovers in four of the last five games in this series. That raises real concerns about whether SGA and Co. can make the right plays against Indiana's defensive pressure in Game 7. Ironically, many expected this exact issue -- pressure defense forcing turnovers and leading to easy offense the other way -- to play a huge role in these Finals. But the consensus was that it was OKC who was going to be disrupting the Indiana offense (not the other way around). Will Indiana's O-Rebounding, Bench Come Through Once Again? Indiana's Games 1, 3 and 6 victories came thanks to its domiance of two other areas of this matchup that the Thunder were expected to control: bench points and offensive rebounding. The Pacers have grabbed more than 20 percent of their missed shots three times in the Finals, including in their wins in Games 1 and 6. Indiana has also gotten more bench scoring than OKC in every contest besides Game 2. Overall, the Pacers' bench has outscored the Thunder's by 64, and Indy's reserves have accounted for at least 34 points in all six games. While the Pacers' T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin have all averaged at least 10 points per game off the bench in the Finals, the only Thunder reserve who is averaging at least 10 points in the Finals is Alex Caruso. OKC has gotten huge series from both SGA and Jalen Williams, but can it win Game 7 without Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, or someone else stepping up to provide complementary scoring? Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals Game 7 Best Bets If it's not clear at this point, I have far more questions than answers about how Game 7 will play out tonight. While their ceiling remains untouchable, the Thunder have failed to fire on all cylinders in this series for good reason: the Pacers just don't let their opponents get comfortable on either side of the ball. I'm not quite willing to pick Indiana to win Game 7 on the road, but I do like the Pacers to keep this close, especially early. I also expect both offenses to struggle, which leads me to the Pacers on the first-half spread and the Under as my two favorite NBA Finals Game 7 best bets. If I have to choose who will take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, I'll reluctantly pick the Thunder at home, but I recommend staying away from this game's spread. Pacers 1H +5 (-110 at DraftKings) -- 1 unit Under 215 (-110 at bet365) -- 0.5 units Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.